Fastening together sheets of expanded metal



Jan. 21, 1947. 2,414,483 FASTENING TOGETHER SHEET OF EXPANDED METAL r. s. QKONSKI,

Filed March 7, 1944 N 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 21, 1947. T. s. OKONSKI 2,414,483

FASTENING TOGETHER SHEET OF EXPANDED IE TAL Filed March 7, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m'vzm'on Theodore .STO/konJ/ri Patented Jan. 21, 1947 ui'rso STATES PATE NT OFFICE FASTENING 'I'DGETHER SHEETS OF EXPANDED METAL Theodore S. Okonski, Wheeling, W. Va.,

by mesne assignment notation, Wheeling, Delaware s, to Wheeling Steel Cor- Va., a corporation of Application March 7, 1944, Serial No. 525,450

6 Claims. i

' vision is made for ready disassembly of the sheets when desired.

I provide means for fastening together sheets of expanded metal comprising stop means connected with one sheet of expanded metal adapted to abut a portion of another sheet of expanded metal when the-sheets are disposed with edges overlapping. Preferably the stop means has an operative portion or portions of hook form and is disposed at a point removed fromthe edge of the sheet to which it is connected and adapted to engage an edge portion of anothersheet. Pref- 2 description of a, present preferred embodiment thereof proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a present preferred embodiment of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the overlapped edges of two sheets of expanded metal fastened together in accordance with my invention;

erably the operative portion or portions of the stop means is or are positioned at'a bond or bonds of the sheet of expanded metal to which the stop means is connected; 9. bond being where two strands are joined together. I find itdesirable to connect the stop means with one strand of the expanded metal at one or more bonds and to form the stop means so as to project from said bond or bonds generally in the plane of the sheet and with the end or ends of the operative portion or portions thereof turned so as to intersect the plane of the sheet and extend generally in the direction of the other strand at said bond or bonds'so as to engage over a portion or portions of another sheet of expanded metal when the sheets are disposed in overlapping relation with corresponding parts interfitting to prevent separation of the sheets by relative movementin the plane of the sheets. I preferably weld a bar carrying a number of stop members to each sheet along a line parallel to but removed from one edge thereof. I

I also provide a. composite structure comprising two sheets of expanded metal disposed in overlapping relation and nested at their edges .and means connected with one of the sheets and engaging the other when the sheets are in said position to prevent separation of the sheets by relative movement in the plane of the sheets.

Other details, objects and advantages. of the invention will become apparent as the following Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary similarly inverted plan view of a portion of the structure shownin Figure 1; Figure 3 is a. plan view to the same scale as Figure 2 of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line IV--IV of F1 re 3,-but to enlarged scale;

Figure 5 is aview similar to Figure 4 illustrating how the sheets are assembled.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there are shown portions of two overlapping and interfltting sheets of expanded metal designated generally by reference numerals 2 and 2a, respectively. The expanded metal is of conventional form as made on a guillotine type expanded metal making machine and for most purposes will be what is known as heavy mesh weighing in the neighborhood of three to four pounds per square foot and having a thickness of the order of one-third of an inch. In a preferred form of structure the width of the strands may be about one-half inch, the width of the diamonds may be about three inches on centers and the length of the diamonds may be about eight inches on centers. The sheets may be of any desired size, as, for example, four feet wide by twelve feet long.

The expanded metal has the usual strands 3 connected together at bonds 4. ,As is well known, the entire sheet of expanded metal is an integral piece of metal made from a sheet or plate. The strands are severed from one another for limited distances along the plate and are then stretched to form the conventional diamonds.

Connected with the sheet 2, as, for example, by welding 8, is a bar 9 carrying an aligned series or row of fastening or stop members each designated generally by reference numeral 5. As shown in Figure 1, these stop members are aligned in the direction parallel to the length of the diamonds and each is formed asan integral part of the bar 9 which in turn is welded to the sheet 2 at bonds 4 thereof. Each stop member orhook 5 comprises a, connecting portion -6 lying in the general plane of the bar 9 and a neck portion 1 forming a continuation of the connecting portion 6 but turned at approximately right angles thereto toward the plane of the sheet of expanded meta1 2., In the structure shown in the drawings 4 to it and the relatively wide portions of the bar intermediate the stop members. The relatively wide portions of the bar have short substantially the bar 9 is connected with one strand of the expanded metal at each bond 4 at each of two adjacent parallel rows of bonds of the expanded metal of the sheet 2 and the stop member project from the bar at erally in the plane of the bar and at a slight angle to the plane of the sheet as shown in Figures land and have their ends or neck portions 1 turned so as to intersect the plane of the sheet and extend generally in the direction of the other strand at said respective bonds. The bar is adthe bonds of one row genjacent but a diamond or tworemovedfrom the edge of the sheet.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate how the sheets 2 and 2a with the bar 9 having the stop members 5 applied to the sheets 2 are fastened together. Referring to Figure 5, the left-hand sheet 2 viewing that figure is first laid on the ground with its stop members 5 pointing downwardly as shown. Another like sheet 2a then has the diamonds at its edges which is opposite the edge nearest which the stop means is applied to it positioned in the diamonds of the sheet 2 into which the stop members 5 of the sheet 2 project. In order to do this with the first sheet lying on the ground the second sheet is held in more or less vertical position. The edge diamonds of the second sheet enter the diamonds of the first sheet into which the stop members project as shown in Figure 5, after which the second sheet is turned down generally clockwise viewing Figure 5 until it is substantially coplanar with the first sheet but lies in overlapping relationship therewith, nested one diamond. When the sheets are in that position corresponding part interfit as is well known to lthose skilled in the expanded metal art. The

interfltting sheets are shown in inverted plan view in Figures 1 and 2, in plan view in Figure 3 and l in cross section in Figure 4.

When the sheets are in interfitting position as shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, they cannot move relatively to one another unless one of them is turned substantially out of the plane of the sheets to be disengaged from the other in the reverse of the manner of engagement above described. The sheets form a composite structure which is to all intents and purposes integral so far as transmission of forces in the plane of the structure is concerned. The sheets cannot move substantially toward or away from each other but can only remain in the position shown. They can, however, to a certain extent adapt themselves to unevenness in the ground.

Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings are inverted plan views to aid in a clear showing of the structure with the bar 9 positioned behind the expanded metal a viewed so as not to obscure the joint. When the expanded metal islaid the bars 9 are disposed at the upper surface of the composite structure. The bars project somewhat above the upper surface of the expanded metal and serve as anti-skid treads. As clearly shown in Figure 3, each bar 9 is wider intermediate the stop'members 5 than at the places where the stop members are positioned. The edge l0 of the bar remote from the nearer edge of the sheet of expanded metal is straight and the opposite edge II is non-straight, having inclined portions l3 extending between the relatively narrow parts of the bar. where the stop members 5 are connected straight edge portions l2 connecting the inclined edge portions l3. The portions of the bar immediately adjacent and underlying the edge portions l2 overlie an aligned series of bonds of the expanded metal where they are welded to the expanded metal as shown. Also the bar is welded to the bonds of an adjacent aligned row at portions of its straight edge 10 opposite the stop members 5. This staggered welding of the bar to the expanded metal makes for a very strong and rigid structure, the bar serving not only to provide and position the stop members 5 but also There are no separate fastening means which ,must be applied to the sheets of expanded metal to fasten them together, the sole fastening means being the bars 9 with the stop members 5 thereon cooperating with the edges of adjacent sheets. Consequently the danger that the workmen may fail to apply separate fastening means or may lose or mislay such means is obviated.

The stress exerted between adjacent sheets under load is transmitted largely by the metal of the sheets themselves rather than by the stop members 5 or bar 9, although the stop members participate in the. stresses by maintaining the sheets in nested relationship.

While I have shown and'described a present preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not.

limited thereto but may be otherwise variously embodied within the scope of the following claims.

v Iclaim: I Y

1.. A sheet of expanded metal having a stop member connected therewith at a bond thereof removed from the edge of the sheet, the stop -member extending generally toward theedge of" the sheet and having its endturned toward the plane of the sheet.

2. A sheet of expanded metal having a stop metal when the sheets are disposed in overlapping relation with corresponding parts interfitting to prevent separation of the sheets by relative movement in the plane of the sheets.

. 3. A composite structure comprising two sheets of expanded metal disposed in overlapping relation with corresponding part interfitting and a stop member connected with one strand of the expanded metal oi. one of the sheets at a bond Where two strands are joined together, the stop member projecting from said bond generally in the plane of the sheet and having its end turned so as to intersect the plane of the sheet and extend generally in th direction of the other strand at said bond and engaging over a portion oi the other sheet to prevent separation of the sheets by relative movement in the plane of the sheets.

4. A sheet of expanded metal having an elongated member connected therewith at an aligned series of bonds thereof removed from the edge of the sheet and extending generally parallel to the major axes of the diamond of the expanded of the sheet and having thereof removed from its end turned toward the plane of the sheet.

5. A sheet of expanded metal having a metal bar welded thereto at an aligned series of bonds the edge of the sheet and extending generally parallel to the major axes of the diamonds of the expanded metal, the bar carrying a plurality of hooks each extending generally toward the edge of the sheet and having its extremity directed generally toward the plane of the sheet, each hook extremity being spaced from a, bond of said series sufliciently to receive an edge strand of another sheet of expanded metal whereby to fasten the sheets together when they are disposed with their edges overlapping 6 and with corresponding parts of the expanded metal meshwork of the sheets interfltting.

6; A sheet of expanded metal having a, stop member connected therewith and positioned at a point removed from the edgeof the sheet, the stop member extending generally toward the edge of the sheet and having its end turned generally toward the plane of the sheet and positioned generally Opp site a spaced from said bond in a direction generally toward the edge of the sheet sufiiclently to provide for positioning of anedge portion of the meshwork of another sheet of expanded metal between the end of the stop member and said bond;

THEODORE S. OKO NSKI.

bond of the expanded metal but I 

